CBSE Class 11 Biology NCERT Solutions: Chapter 12, Mineral Nutrition

Aug 9, 2018,
Gurmeet Kaur

The questions given in NCERT textbooks at the end of each chapter are not only important for examination but also essential for understanding the concepts in a better way. Hence, we strongly recommend reading these books thoroughly, make appropriate notes on each chapter and try to get the right answers to all questions given at the end of each chapter.

To help students access the accurate solutions to all NCERT questions, we bring here the NCERT solutions explained by subject matter experts. All the solutions have been collated in the form of PDF which students can download for free of cost and refer the same whenever required.

Here you will get the NCERT solutions for Class 11 Biology chapter: Mineral Nutrition. All the solutions have been designed in the simplest way so as to help students easily understand the concepts involved.

Some of the questions and their solutions from NCERT Solutions for Class 11: Mineral Nutrition, are as follows:

Q. ‘All elements that are present in a plant need not be essential to its survival’. Comment.

Ans. A nutrient is considered inessential for a plant if it is not involved in the plant’s physiology and metabolism. Hence, they are not essential for the plants to complete their life cycle.

Q. Why is purification of water and nutrient salts so important in studies involving mineral nutrition using hydroponics?

Ans. Hydroponics is the process of growing plants in a nutrient solution without using soil. Since the plant roots are exposed to a limited amount of the solution, so this may cause the reduced concentrations of oxygen and other minerals in the plant roots. Therefore, to maintain an optimum growth of the plant and obtain accurate scientific results, purification of water and nutrient salts is essential for carrying out the process of hydroponics.

Q. Name at least five different deficiency symptoms in plants. Describe them and correlate them with the concerned mineral deficiency.

Ans. The five main deficiency symptoms arising in plants along with minerals giving rise to them are described below:

(i) Chlorosis: It is the loss of chlorophyll leading to the yellowing of leaves. It is mainly caused due to the deficiencies of nitrogen, potassium, magnesium, sulphur, iron, manganese, zinc, and molybdenum.

(ii) Necrosis: It is the death of plant tissues, particularly lave tissues. It arises due to the deficiencies of calcium, magnesium, copper, and potassium.

(iii) Inhibition of cell division: It is caused by the deficiencies of nitrogen, potassium, sulphur, and molybdenum.

(iv) Delayed flowering: It is caused by the deficiencies of nitrogen, sulphur, and molybdenum.

(v) Stunted plant growth: It is caused by the deficiencies of copper and sulphur.

Q. If a plant shows a symptom which could develop due to deficiency of more than one nutrient, how would you find out experimentally, the real deficient mineral element?

Ans. In order to identify the real deficient nutrient a plant, first we need to tabulate all the available symptoms in different parts of the plant and then compare them with the available standaid tables.

Get the complete the NCERT solutions for Class 11: Mineral Nutrition, from the following link:

At the time of solving the NCERT questions, if you find yourself puzzled or unaware of any particular concept, then you should go through the NCERT chapter once again. Taking a thorough reading of the theories given in NCERT book will help you understand the problem discussed in a question and then come with an appropriate answer.